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Fort Cherry Outlasts Bishop Canevin 48-41

Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 1, 2023

Dormont – Fort Cherry held off Bishop Canevin in the closing seconds for a thrilling 48-41 victory Saturday night at Dormont Stadium.

“Some of our kids have been in big games, but nothing quite like this,” said Fort Cherry head coach Tanner Garry. “We told them all week that this team will test you. The chatter had been that we haven’t been tested, but you will be tested when you play a team like Bishop Canevin. I’m proud of how our kids came out and handled the atmosphere. Sometimes, the kids can handle the pressure when they hear the crowd screaming and chanting like that. I couldn’t be prouder of the way they performed.”

What a difference a year makes – one season ago, Fort Cherry hosted Bishop Canevin and got stunned 60-7. On Saturday night, the young Rangers team had grown up and scored arguably the biggest win in the Fort Cherry program in quite some time.

“They were an excellent football team last year, and we were very young with many kids in that sophomore and freshman bubble,” said Garry. “These kids have taken that expected jump this season, especially with a senior-led group of linemen up front. We had some success early on at the line of scrimmage, which helped us out tonight.”

Once again, the catalyst for the Rangers was sophomore quarterback Matt Sieg.

Sieg, who received his first Division 1 off from Penn State on September 23rd – had another monster game, rushing for 271 yards on 26 carries while completing 5-of-7 passes for 171 yards and seven total touchdowns.

“I feel like I’m running out of things to say about Matt when I get interviewed,” said Garry. “There’s not much that can be said that hasn’t already been said. He’s a kid that we’ve been saying for a long time is special. We know he’s special with what he does, which will continue to set him apart. When you have someone like that who cares about the team and is always looking for ways to improve, your team will have a chance to succeed.”

Matt Sieg Interview:

 

Fort Cherry came out of the gates swinging, building a 21-point first-half lead.

The Rangers took the football and the lead when Sieg capped an 8-play 52-yard drive with a 3-yard run to open the scoring.

Before the Crusaders could touch the football, Fort Cherry went up 14-0 following a recovered onside kick when Evan Rogers caught a 6-yard touchdown from Sieg with 4:51 to play in the opening quarter.

Bishop Canevin took their first possession from their 42-yard line to the Rangers 21 – however, Nashaun Sutton would intercept Kole Olszewski’s fourth-down pass at the Rangers 10-yard line.

Driving 90 yards in nine plays, Fort Cherry went ahead 21-0 as Sieg broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run with 5:55 to play in the first half.

“Getting up 21 points was huge because that’s what happened to us last year,” Garry said. “We got jumped on early, and it’s happened to us in the past with other games. We came out and wanted to set the tone our way, and we were able to do that. When you jump out on a team like that, it’s so important not to take your foot off the gas because, as you saw tonight, a team like this can come back as they did.”

Despite only having two first-half possessions, the Bishop Canevin offense got rolling, momentum they would easily carry into the second half as they drove 77 yards in eight plays, scoring on Daiveon Taylor’s 3-yard reception from Olszewski with 1:23 remaining until halftime.

Fort Cherry led 21-6 at the break.

“This was a good football game and a tough one for us,” said Bishop Canevin head coach Rich Johnson. “A game like this, despite being on the losing end, will help prepare us for the playoffs. We’re not making any excuses. In that first half, the way they came out and played, my hats off to them. We have some things to clean up, but I’m proud of how our guys came out and played in the second half. We will build off the positives and move on to next week.”

The Crusaders marched 67 yards to begin the second half, scoring on Marquis Carter’s 8-yard run – that was simply a prelude to a crescendo of second-half fireworks.

One play later, Fort Cherry responded on the tip drill as a batted ball was plucked out of the air by Ethan Faletto, who raced 78 yards down the far sideline for a touchdown.

On their next possession, Bishop Canevin elected to go for a 4th-and-8 from their 32-yard line. Olszewski’s pass fell incomplete, giving the Rangers the ball back where three plays later, Sieg connected with Shane Cornali for a 33-yard touchdown.

On their next snap from scrimmage, Jason Cross caught a 48-yard touchdown from Olszewski.

After forcing a punt, Bishop Canevin got themselves back to within a touchdown when they drove 90 yards in five, with Cross hauling in a 32-yard touchdown from Olszewski on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

The Rangers halted the Crusaders’ momentum when Sieg capped a 66-yard drive with a 13-yard scoring run at the 9:07 mark.

“I was having heart attacks on the sidelines with that second half,” said Garry. “It was an up-and-down roller coaster all night long, but all we can do as coaches is put the kids in the best position to be successful, and they answered the bell.”

Cross and Olszewski connected for the third time in the contest from 22 yards out, succeeding a 60-yard drive that again pulled the Crusaders to within a point.

Jason Cross and Kole Olszewski had enormous games for Bishop Canevin as Olszewski completed 26-of-39 passes for 424 yards and five touchdowns, while Cross led all receivers with ten catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

Again, Matt Sieg and Fort Cherry had the answer in one play as Sieg broke to the outside and raced 72 yards for a touchdown.

“That was a big play,” said Garry. “That was the way the second half went. You answer, and we’re going to try and answer back. That’s kind of what that score did. A play like that can be deflating on their side as well. They get back into the game, and then Matt makes a play like that – I thought that was a big point.”

Quickly down the field, the Crusaders had the answer when Jayden Lindsey caught an 18-yard touchdown from Olszewski with 3:48 to play.

Lindsey also exceeded the century mark in receiving, catching eight balls for 109 yards.

Bishop Canevin had one final chance when they recovered a fumble at midfield with 2:48 to play.

The Crusaders reached the Rangers 14-yard line before Anthony Salvini’s sack on 4th-and-19 in the closing seconds sealed the win.

“With everything that went wrong in the first half – we still had the ball with less than three minutes to play, that’s all you can ask for,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of how they fought and kept their heads up. We came together and got ourselves collected. Tonight just wasn’t our night.”

Bishop Canevin will look to bounce back next Friday night when they travel to Cornell.

Likewise, Fort Cherry will look to keep their momentum going when they travel to Avella.

“That entire sequence, we were just battling,” concluded Garry. “We told them for this entire week, you’ll find yourself at a point in the game where it will come down to one or two plays. Either they’re going to make the play, or we’re going to.”

Game Highlights:

 

Fort Cherry 48 Bishop Canevin 41

Score by Quarters

Fort Cherry – 14 7 13 14 – 48
Bishop Canevin – 0 6 14 21 – 41

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

FC – Matt Sieg 3 yd run, (Nik Massey pat), 6:47 – 8-52

FC – Evan Rogers 6 yd pass from Sieg, (Massey pat), 4:31 – 4-55

Second Quarter

FC – Sieg 55 yd run, (Massey pat), 5:55 – 9-90

BC – Daiveon Taylor 3 yd pass from Kole Olszewski, (kick blocked), 1:23 – 8-77

Third Quarter

BC – Marquis Carter 8 yd run, (rush failed), 7:51 – 7-67

FC – Ethan Faletto 78 yd pass from Sieg, (kick failed), 7:06 – 1-68

FC – Shane Cornali 33 yd pass from Sieg, (Massey pat), 4:20 – 3-32

BC – Jason Cross 48 yd pass from Olszewski, (Cross from Olszewski), 4:10 – 1-48

Fourth Quarter

BC – Cross 32 yd pass from Olszewski, (Ryan McFetridge pat), 11:55 – 5-90

FC – Sieg 13 yd run, (Massey pat), 9:07 – 6-66

BC – Cross 22 yd pass from Olszewski, (McFetridge pat), 6:20 – 7-60

FC – Sieg 72 yd run, (Massey pat), 6:01 – 1-72

BC – Jayden Lindsey 18 yd pass from Olszewski, (McFetridge pat), 3:48 – 8-52

Individual Stats

Rushing: FC – Sieg 26-271, Ethan Faletto 7-17, Nathan Heirendt 3-8, Team 2-0. Totals: 38-296. BC – Marquis Carter 10-26, Olszewski 8-20. Totals: 18-46.

Receiving: FC – Rogers 1-6, Shane Cornali 2-41, Faletto 1-78, Braydon Cook 1-46. BC – Jason Cross 10-220, Jayden Lindsey 8-109, Ty’Jere Clayton 4-71. Taylor 1-3, Carter 2-14, A’Zuan Marshall 1-7.

Passing: FC – Sieg 5-for-7, 171 yards, 3 TD, Cornali 0-for-1. BC – Olszewski 26-for-39, 424 yards, 5 TD, Cross 0-for-1.

Interceptions: FC – Nashaun Sutton.

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